Today, an increasing number of financial transactions between merchants and consumers are being conducted electronically. Many merchants have started to provide customers with receipts electronically (e.g., email or online customer account). Consumers, on the other hand, have a variety of electronic based options to pay merchants (e.g., credit cards, debit cards, prepaid gift cards, or digital wallet), without the burden of having to carry cash. While these mechanisms improve the financial transaction experience, they also present many challenges.
For example, existing receipt solutions generally require merchants to take on extensive infrastructure changes, provide limited functionalities, and make management and access a hassle for consumers due to the variety of receipts (e.g., delivery method, set-up, format, etc.). Further, while the various payment options give flexibility to consumers, carrying such an array of payment options can be inconvenient and burdensome (e.g., an overstuffed wallet or purse). At the end of the day, a consumer would have to remember which payment option(s) she has used at which merchant(s), and how or where to access the receipts associated with the various merchants.